Storage-battery electrode-plate.



PATENTED SEPT. 18, 1906.

'1. A. EDISON. STORAGE BATTERY ELECTRODE PLATE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB..5.1903.

s SHEETS-SHEET 1 I Witnesses:

a lnve llor PATENTED SEPT. 18, 1906.

T. A EDISON.

STU-RAGE BATTERY ELECTRODE PLATE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB.5, 1903.

I I I I I l l I l l I I l I I I l l 1 l I r I I i lnven [or V AttorneysPATENTED SEPT. 18, 1906.

v T. A. EDISON. STORAGE BATTERY ELECTRODE PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.5,1903.

' 3 SHEETS$HEET a.

OOOOOOO OOOOOO 0000000 Inventor y o h] rrnn srnrns THOMnS A.

EDISON, OF LLEW'ELLYN PARK, BYE-ll PATENT @FFKGE.

JEEP; CY. .tSSlGNOR $TORAGE-BATTEFM' i LEQBTFZGEIEEHPLATE I peclncationof listeners Patent.

Patented Sept 18, 1908.

A li ation {11 5 March 5, 1903. Serial Nm lei/6,3452.

To all whom it may concern.-

ceptacles as Well as in the closi11g-plates are Be it known that I,THOMAS A; EDIsON, a quite large, and the active material is precitizenof the United Llewellyn Park, Orang Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented a certain new anduseful Improvemen in StoraeBatteryElectrode-Plates, of vhich in the county oi the following is adescription.

My invention relates to an electron e-plste or electrode which has beendesigned especially for use in connection with storage batteriesemploying an alkaline electrolyte with insoluble active materials, as Ihave described in patents already granted and my ob (act is to provide asimple, cheep, and effective electfrode-plate for use in connection withlarge cells-employed under conditions in which Weight is notobjectionable-sucln for e ample, as in electric lighting and reilwainstallations.

Another object of my invention is to subdivide the active material andhold the same under pressure in pockets of material which is inactiveandinsoluble as regards the electrolyte and having large perforationswhich are closed by inactive and insoluble elastic 'thin plates havingnumerous minute perfo rations and being capable of yielding underpressure caused by the swelling of the active material and of returningto their original shape when the pressure ceases.

In carr 'ng my invention into effect I construct a attery-electrodeplate of inactive and insolublematerial with a plurality of integralockets (Sr-receptacles for containing the active materialand maintainthe latter under ressure Within the pockets or recep ta'cles y means ofclosing-plates secured, preferably, in lace by overturning the metalaround the e gas of the pockets or rccepta cles over .upon the closin-plates, all 1 Will more fully hereinafter describe and claim. Thepockets or receptacles, as well as the closing-plates, are perforated,so as to permit the electrolyte to reach the active materials. Theplates in question are mad e of relatively thick Inetalsay .02 of aninchso as to effectively resist any tendency of the active :In'aterialto swell due to absorption of the electrolyte or to charging ordischarging. For the purpose of economy in manufacture the perforationsformed in the integral retetes, residing at; vented from extulingthrough these perforaintcrposmg a very thin sheet oi an. insolubleelastic material, such tions y inactive and as nickel ..1:1l)3l"l2ll andwhich are formed with e2-1- trerncly sn al perforations through whichthe active arm-(11 cannot These zine informed proteeting-sheets may belost emely thin say .0025 of an inch sir r th e31 iscd surfs Will belimited to the larger pr. orati-ons in the r ceptacles and inv theclosing-Plates therefor. These thi 1 are capable of yielding under prtothe swelling of the active material but ones/count of the small areas towhich the strains are confined the distortion will he slight and thesheets will return to their original shapes when the pressure ceases.Preferably a series of plates arranged described ere removably securedWithin openings formed in a large grid of considerable thichness--sayoue-sixteenth of an inchso that by assembling a series of grids as soconstructed, immersed in an alkaline solution with the proper activematerials, a co1nplete storagebattery of large size will be formed. I

In order that the invention may be better understood, attention isdirected to the accompanying drzuvings, forming part of thisspecification, and in 11ich.-

Figure 1 represents a. complete grid, 'show ing one of theelectrode-plates in position therein; Fig. 2, an enlarged plan view of aportion'of one of the electrode-plates, showing a closing-plate in.position in one of the pockets or receptacles; Fig. 3, agreatly-enlarged sectional View 1 Fig. i, a plan view of one of theelectrode-plates removed from the supportinggrid; Fig. 5, a section onthe line -5 5 of Fig. 4-, and Fig. 6 a section showing a rnodiiiedarrangement for holding the closing-plates of the pockets in place.

in all of the above views corresponding parts are'representerl by thesame numerals of reference.

The grid 1 is of large size and is formed of sheet iron or steel ofconsiderable th1ckness say one-sixteenth of an inch. Thlsgrid is formedwith :1. lug or ear 2, by which the uteri steel, on each side of th eactive.

, closing-plate 8, prefera tions 7 or 9 in use,

proper electrical connection therewith can be 1 made. Formed in the gridare a series of openin s 3, which in practice may be about six inc esWide and ten inches long. The grid 1 is carefully nickel-plated, so asto be unaffected by electrolytic action in the alkaline solution. Afterthe electroplating of the grid the electroplated coating is preferablywelded in place in a hydrogen atmosphere maintained until the gridbecomes finally cooled, as I describe in Letters Patent No. 73 L522,dated July 28, 1903. By this process of nickel-plating the coatingbecomes intimately associated with the base, and any condition oftension is overcome which in ordinary processes makes the electroplatedcoating liable to scale ofl.

Secured in position over each of the open.- ings 3 is an electrode-plate4, held in place by rivets 5 or in any other suitable way. Theelectrode-plates 4 are also .made oi iron or steel, carefullynickel-plated, as explained, and in practice theyniay be made about .02of an inch in thickness, so to effectively resist any bulging strainswithin the active ma terial due to absorption of the electrolyte or .tointernal gasing or from other causes arising in charging or discharging.Each electrode-plate 4 is provided witha series of integral pockets orreceptacles 6,-forn1ed. bymeans of drawing-dies or an analogous stampingo oration. Each of these pockets or reccptac es is formed on its outerface with a series of perforations 7 therein, which are of comparativelylarge size. The nickel-plating of the electrode-platesis ell'ected afterthe erlorating thereof and preferably after the ormation of the integralpockets or receptacle s. In order to close each of the receptacles 6, Imake use of a nickel-plated bly Hat and provided with a series ofperforations 9 therein corresponding with the perforations 7. p Y

The active material 10 is of any suitable character; but I preferablyemploy in the make-up of the oxidizablc electrode a ini'xture ofelectrolytically-active finely-divided metallic iron or iron oxid,mercury, and cop per, as I' describe in Letters Patent No. 7231-150,dated March 24, 1903, and for the make-rip of the oxidizing ordepolarizing electrode I make use of a mixture of elcctrolytically-active hydroxid of nickel and 'llal. graphite. Obviously,however, other suitable insoluble active materials may be used. In orderto prevent the particlesof active material from exuding through theperfora- I interpose on each side of the=' active material sheets 1 1,made of an in active and insoluble elastic material, such asnickelplated steel, and provided with extremely fine.closely-adjacentperforations, as shown, similar in all respects to thematerial used in the make-up of the sectional pockets of my imentsalready granted. (See, for example, Patent No. 700,137, dated May 13,1902.) 'lhese protecting-plates n'iay be lnade extreinel y thin-say.0025 of an inch since they are exposed to bulging strains within theactive material only at points coincident with the perforations 7 and 9,as will underderstood.

In assembling the parts composing one of the electrode-plates I firstintroduce into the several pockets or receptacles 6 thereof one of thethin protecting-sheets 11. I then introduce into each of the pockets orreceptacles the mass of active material, either in loose form in theproper quantity or as a compressed briquet oi the desired mass. I nowplace upon the top of each mass of active material a secondprotecting-sheet 11, and finally place on to of each of theseprotectiug-shects one of the closing-plates S. Pressure is now appliedto force all of the closing plates within their respective pockets orreceptacles, and a tool is then employed to turn over the metal, as at12, around the edges oi the pockets or rec-c tacles upon theclosing-plates to hold the latter firmly in place and maintain theactive material under the desired pressure. Instead of securing theclosing-plates in place by overturning the metzl upon them as describedthe arrangement shown in Fig. 6 may be employed, wherein the pocketsorreceptacles are made sullicicutly deep to pcrinit a bead 13 to be formedin their walls to engage over the closing-plates- A series ofelectrode-plates constructed as described are now secured in positionwithin the openings 3 of a suitable rid, and several of these grids areassemble to gether in an alkaline electrolyte so as to consl'itutc astorage battery of large size.

Having now described my invention, What I claim is- 1. In astoragebattery, with an alkaline electrolyte, an inactive and insolubleelectrode-plate having pockets containing active material, one portionof the pocket being oi comparatively thick metal and another portion ofthin elastic metal supported by the thicker metal, substantially as setforth.

in combination 2. In a storage battery, in combination wi' an alkalineelectrolyte, an inactive and ins :le electrode-plate having pocketscontai active material under pressure, one portion of the pocket beingof comparatively thick metal and another portion of thin elastic metalsupported. by the thicker metal, substantially as set forth.

3. In a storage battery, incombination with an alkaline electrolyte, aninactive and insoluble electrode-pl ate formed with an integralperforated pocket or receptacle containing active material, and elasticmeans for permitting expansion Off said active mateproved storagebattery as described in patrial, substantially as set forth.

4. Ina storage battery, in combination with an alkaline electrolyte, aninactive and insoluble electrode-plate formed with an integralperforated pocket or receptacle con taining active material underpressure, and elastic means for permitting ex ansion of said active.material, substantia 1y as set forth.

5. An electrode-plate -for a storage battery having a erforated elasticocket or rece taele, a firely-perforated s eet Within t e pocket orreceptacle closing the perforations thereof, and activematerial-maintained Within the pocket or receptacle in contact with thefinely-perforated sheet, substantially as set forth. i i

6. An electrode-plate for a storage battery having an integralperforated pocket or receptacle, a perforated closing-plate fitted overthe mouth-of the ocket or receptacle, active material Within t e pocketor recepta ale, and finely-perforated elastic sheets between the actlvematerial and theperl'orated faces of the pocket or receptacle and theclosllor rectio-rt'in Letters Patent No 83l,269

[Brian] age-battery electrode eonsistin ing-glate respectively,substantially'as fort 7. The combination-L with a supportinggrid havingan opening therein, of a removable electrode ing and provi ed with aseries of closed perforated pockets containing the active material,substantially as set forth.

8. In a storage battery, in combination improvement in. Storage-BatteryElectrode-Plates, an error appears in thegprin ted lowing the wordperforated shonld be stricken out and inserted beforeitlie word sheet,line 11; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with thiscorrection therein that the same mayconform to the record of the casein'the Patent (lfiieel vSigned and sealed this 6th day of November, A.D. 1906. l l

B; Moons, I Acting Commissioner of Patents.

late secured within. said open,

It is hereby certified that in Letter s Patent No. .831,269, grantedSeptember 18,1906, upon the application of Thomas A/Edison, of LlewellynPark, New Jersey for an specification requiring correction, as followsPage 3, line 10, the wordfelaslaicf fol 4. Ina storage battery, incombination with an alkaline electrolyte, an inactive and insolubleelectrode-plate formed with an integral perforated pocket or receptaclecon taining active material under pressure, and elastic means forpermitting ex ansion of said active. material, substantia 1y as setforth.

5. An electrode-plate -for a storage battery having a erforated elasticocket or rece taele, a firely-perforated s eet Within t e pocket orreceptacle closing the perforations thereof, and activematerial-maintained Within the pocket or receptacle in contact with thefinely-perforated sheet, substantially as set forth. i i

6. An electrode-plate for a storage battery having an integralperforated pocket or receptacle, a perforated closing-plate fitted overthe mouth-of the ocket or receptacle, active material Within t e pocketor recepta ale, and finely-perforated elastic sheets between the actlvematerial and theperl'orated faces of the pocket or receptacle and theclosllor rectio-rt'in Letters Patent No 83l,269

[Brian] age-battery electrode eonsistin ing-glate respectively,substantially'as fort 7. The combination-L with a supportinggrid havingan opening therein, of a removable electrode ing and provi ed with aseries of closed perforated pockets containing the active material,substantially as set forth.

8. In a storage battery, in combination improvement in. Storage-BatteryElectrode-Plates, an error appears in thegprin ted lowing the wordperforated shonld be stricken out and inserted beforeitlie word sheet,line 11; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with thiscorrection therein that the same mayconform to the record of the casein'the Patent (lfiieel vSigned and sealed this 6th day of November, A.D. 1906. l l

B; Moons, I Acting Commissioner of Patents.

late secured within. said open,

It is hereby certified that in Letter s Patent No. .831,269, grantedSeptember 18,1906, upon the application of Thomas A/Edison, of LlewellynPark, New Jersey for an specification requiring correction, as followsPage 3, line 10, the wordfelaslaicf fol Corrections in It is herebycertified that in Letters Patent No. 831,269, granted September 18,1906,

upon the application of Thomas A. Edison, of Llewellyn Park, New Jersey,for an improvement in Storage-Battery Electrode-Plates, an error appearsin theiarinted specification requiring correction, as follows: Page 3,line 10 the word elastic following the word perforated" should bestricken out and inserted before the word sheet, line 11; and that thesaid Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that thesame may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office;

Signed and sealed this 6th day of November, A. D., 1906.

' [SEAL] B. MOORE,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

